Priming-cup for internal-combustion engines.



APPLICATION FILED NOV- 30. 1917.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

WITNESSES LAWRENCE W. MCCAUGHREY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PRIMING-OUP FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

Application filed November 30, 1917. Serial No. 204,699.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LAWRENCE W. Mc- CAUGHREY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, Corona, borough of Queens, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Priming-Cup for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide a proper charge of volatile liquid content for forming an explosive compound when priming an internal combustion engine; to provide for varying the abovementioned charge; to automatically repeat the charges mentioned in correspondence with the operation of said engine; to provide an auxiliary reserve supply of said liquid; to provide means for operating the engine without changing the construction of the auxiliary reservoir; and to provide means for relieving the compression of cylinders of internal combustion engines without multiplying the structural elements used in building the engine.

Drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a priming cup constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof, the section being taken as on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the charging cup, the section being taken as on the line 33 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail View in vertical section showing a fragment of the cup pedestal, the faucet therein being disposed in closed relation to the engine;

Fig. 5 shows the faucet disposed in position to relieve the pressure in the engine cylinders.

In the operation of internal combustion engines employing liquid volatiles, such as gasolene and similar fuel, it is difficult at times andmore especially in cold weather, to obtain ignition of the cylinder charges when starting the engine. Heretofore this operation has been curtailed by priming the cylinders with direct charges of the liquid volatile. To this end, engines have been furnished with what are known as priming cups or small cups connected by faucets, one

with each of the cylinders of an engine. When priming the engine, these cups are open to permit a charge entering directly to the cylinders. When the charge has been delivered within the combustion chambers, generally upon the heads of the pistons, the communlcation between the cylinders and the priming cups is discontinued by turning a faucet or other device with which the engine is provided.

When the engine is manually or mechanically moved by rotating the crank shaft thereof, the proper supply of air is admitted to the various chambers and an explo sire mixture is thus formed, the liquid which ha been admitted having volatilized and mixed with the air supply. If the electric spark is in service, the explosive charge is ignited, with the result that the engine starts.

It often proves that the suction of the cylinders when thus operated with a single charge, is not sufiicient to draw from the carbureter with which the engine is supplied a proper supply of volatile liquid or vapor. This failure to draw the needed supply of vapor results in impoverishing the fuel charge so that charges subsequent to the first or prime charges fail to explode. When-this occurs it has heretofore been necessary to repeat the priming operation above described.

It will be understood that with each of the explosions. a small amount of heat is generated, which ultimately produces sufficient warmth in the engine to raise the temperature of the engine intake manifold, with the result that the gasolene or other volatile fuel is vaporized sufficiently to sustain the explosions necessary to the full operation of the engine. The objection to this is that a great amount of labor is expended and time lost.

The present invention has for its particular object to overcome the difficulties rising as above indicated and to provide for subsequent primings of the motor without loss of time and without manual effort.

With the above-stated objects in view, the embodiment of the invention shown in the present drawings provides a hollow cup 10. The cup 10 has a filling opening 11. The inner surface of the cup is curved as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This shape avoids the spilling of any gasolene or other liquid which may be retained in the cup 10 when the machine on which the engine is mounted is in motion. In the bottom of the cup 10 is provided an annular groove 12.

The groove 12 is concentric with and adjacent to the tapped bore 13, the threads of which register with the flanges in the screw plug 14. The bottom of the bore 13 is tapered as seen best in Fig. 2 of the drawings, to form a seat for a coned pin valve 15. The valve 15 is integral with the plug 14 and is sufficiently large to completely cover the en trance to the drain passage 16 provided in the neck 17 of the cup 10. The plug 14 has a saw-cut groove 18, by means of which the plug is manipulated by the ordinary screwdriver. At one side of the plug 14 and the saw-cut 18 therein, is a delivery passage 19. The delivery passage 19 is a hole bored through the plug 14 to serve as communica tion between the inteiior of the cup 10 and the bore 13. The saw-cut 18 is employed for adjusting the plug 14 and the pin valve 15, so that the opening to the drain passage 16 and the consequent supply of liquid thereto may be regulated.

It will be understood that this adjustment of the plug 14 is made to accommodate various conditions, such as climatic changes or variation in the quality of the volatile liquid. When adjusted it is allowed to remain, the passage 19 continuing to feed the liquid from the cup 10 to the chamber formed by the bore 13 below the plug 14.

The delivery of the volatile liquid from the passage 16 is controlled by a spring seated valve 20. The valve 20 as shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings, is coneshaped to correspond with the cone seat formed at the upper limit of a small bore 33 at the lower end of the neck 17. The valve 20 is supported by a spring 21, which rests upon an abutment formed at the bottom of a tapped bore in the upper end of the pedestal 22. The lower end of the neck 17 is provided with threads to correspond with threads of the bore in the pedestal 22, to be removably attached thereto. The pedestal 22 is for attachment to the body of an internal combustion engine.

To avoid leakage in the connection between the cylinder wall 28 of the engine and the base 24 of the pedestal, the latter has a screw-threaded tapered end 25, the threads whereof register with a corresponding screw-threaded tapered hole formed in the wall 23. The pedestal 22 has a straight bore 26 therethrough, and a lateral passage 27 opening from the side of the pedestal, and from a tapered socket formed therein to receive the tapered cock 28. The cock 28, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. has a transverse passage 29 to register with the bore 26. Also, a lateral passage 30 communicates with the transverse passage 29 to form a two-way passage within the cock body to permit the same to be disposed as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, respectively. The cock 28 has a handle 31, by means of which it is turned to the various positions shown in the drawings. The cock 28 is held seated in the pedestal 22 by a spring 32, as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

When an internal combustion engine is equipped with priming cups constructed and arranged as above described and as shown in the accompanying drawings, the operation thereof is as follows: The chaufi'er as soon as he discovers that he has trouble or has cause to. apprehend trouble in starting, places in the cup 10, a supply of gasolene or other volatile liquid. The liquid is conveyed by means of the passage 19 to the passage 16. which is closed at the lower end by the valve 20. The cock 28 is then turned to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, where the transverse passage 29 communicates with the chamber formed by the bore 33 under the valve 20, and wherein the passage 27 is closed. It will be observed that in this position the valve 20 is subject to the suction of the cylinders when the engine is cranked.

The quantity of volatile liquid drawn by the suction of the piston depends, as above stated, on the adjustment of the plug 14. In this manner, flooding or providing an excess supply of priming liquid to the cylinders is avoided.

It is obvious that if the first charge is not ignited, continued cranking draws another charge of volatile liquid to further enrich the mixture in the cylinder, thereby to insure ignition. It is obvious, therefore, that if the engine starts, the suction thereof will continue to draw from the cups 10, and so continue to enrich the mixture to secure a good preliminary start. The engine being started, the attendant by means of the bandles 31, closes the cocks 28 of the various cups, moving said cocks to the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position, it will be noted that the spring 21 forces the valve 20 to its seat and closes the passage 16. Any surplus volatile liquid in the cups 10 remains therein. It is obvious that if desired, the filling opening 11 of the various cups may be sealed or closed, any device suitable for this purpose being employed.

When it is desired to test the compression of the various cylinders of an engine of the character mentioned, this is accomplished by turning the cock 28 to the position shown in Fig. Here it will be noticed that the transverse passage 29 is in register with the passage 27 in the pedestal 22 and the lateral passage 30 is in register with the lower extension of the bore 26. In this position, open communication is established between the interior of the cylinders of the engine therein is partially relieved by the escape of the air or gas through the said bore 26, and passages 30, 29, and 27.

Olaz'm 1. A priming cup comprising a liquidholding receptacle having a passage for delivering said liquid to an internal combustion engine cylinder; means for normally closing said passage, said means embodying a check valve responding to conditions in said cylinder for delivermgsaid liquid to said cylinder; and means for regulating the flow of liquid from said receptacle, said means embodying a screw-threaded plug for restricting said passage, said plug having a saw-cut therein for mani ixulating said plug, said plug and saw-cut t erein being accessible through said receptacle.

2. A priming cup comprising a liquid holding receptacle having a passage for delivering said liquid to an internal combustion engine cylinder, means for normally closing said passage, said clozing means responding .to the operation of said cylinder for supplying the same, and manually operable means located in the aforesaid passage between the engine cylinder and the said closing means for permanently controlling said passage, said last mentioned means including a three way valve adapted for manipulation to open said passage for communication between said cylinder and said,

receptacle exclusively and between said cylinder' and the surrounding atmosphere ex clusively, and means for graduating the charges withdrawn on suction strokes from said receptacle.

3. A priming cup comprising a liquid holding receptacle having a passage for delivering said liquid to an internal combustion en 'ne cylinder, means for ermanently c osing said passage, means or dividing the contents of said receptacle into measured charges, for delivering to said cylinder, and" means for automatically deliverin one of said measured charges on each 0 several succeeding suction strokes of en%ne.

AWRENCE W. McOAUGHREY. 

